Disintegrating or removing metallic material



y 1, 1948. H. v. HARDING 2,441,319

DISINTEGRATING OR REMOVING METALLIC MATERIAL Filed Oct. 2, 1945 INVENTOR HE NR) V. HARD/N6 H 8 ATTORNEY Patented May 11, 1948 DISINTEGRATING OR REMOVING METALLIC MATERIAL Henry V. Harding, Royal Oak, Mich., assignor to Elox Corporation, a corporation of Michigan Application October 2, 1943, Serial No. 504,801

3 Claims. 1

My invention pertains to means for and methods oi disintegrating and removing metallic materials as in piercing holes or opening plugged holes in metallic materials.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved method of and means for conveniently and quickly disintegrating and removing metallic materials.

It is also an object of my invention to provide means for and method of rapidly oxidizing metallic materials along a desired path, cooling the work and flushing the disintegrated material away from the zone of operation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for and method of applying an electric arc and a flowing stream of water simultaneously to a metallic material to provide an oxidizing agent for oxidizing the material while cooling the work and flushing away the disintegrated material.

The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view showing my metal disintegrating apparatus, and diagrammatically representing its connection with a piece of work, which is shown sectioned;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken axially through the electrode, chuck and coolant connection block: and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section and showing the point of the hollow electrode entering the work for illustrating the operation thereof.

Referring more specifically to Fig. 1 of the drawing, the apparatus which I provide comprises a supporting structure or frame ll having an extension l2 projecting upwardly from the center for securement in an adjustable drill press or any other suitable support l3 which may be used for adjusting or lowering the device. This is commonly accomplished by manipulating a handle, such as l5 as will be readily understood. Such a support usually embodies an adjustable shelf I1 whereupon the metal work piece l9 may be conveniently disposed.

In accordance with my invention I provide a rod 2| which passes slidably through an aperture in the bottom side of the support frame II which may be provided with a transverse brace 23 through which the sliding rod is also passed to 55 limit and guide its movements. For reciprocating or vibrating the sliding rod axially, I provide any suitable motor means device 25 which may be operated by means of compressed air or water under pressure, or which might be a small, geared electric motor as desired. Such a motive device is compactly and rigidly mounted within the frame structure II, as by means of bolts 21 passing through the pedestal and the upper side of the support frame II. A projecting shaft 29 of the motor is provided with a cam 3| keyed or secured firmly thereon, in any Well known manner. The upper end of the sliding rod 2| is provided with a tappet head or plate 15 33 for operatively engaging the surface of the cam. A compression spring 35 is centrally disposed on the sliding rod 2| which also carries a washer 31 secured under a. pin 39, which compresses the upper end of the spring by which the go tappet 33 is urged upwardly to operatively engage the cam 3|. As the motive means 25 operates and rotates the cam 3|, the sliding rod 2| is reciprocated up and down through the associated support and guiding structures.

The lower end of the sliding reciprocating rod 2| extends below the lower side of the support structure II where it is firmly connected into a. fluid connection block 4| as by being threadably inserted, as may be seen in Fig. 2. The fluid connectionblock 4| is provided with a fluid passage 43 which may open from one side of the block provided with a hose fixture 45 for receiving a suitable hose 4! which extends for connection with any suitable source of coolant water under pressure, which may be the usual service faucet 49. In the fluid connection block 4| the fluid passage 43 opens from the lower side into a tubular connector 5|, extending therefrom and threaded at the lower end for receiving a chuck collar 53.

Electrodes 55 are provided of elongated redlike conformation having an engaged head 51 at the upper end. The electrode head has upwardly turned conical surfaces which are clamped snugly up into the bore in the lower end of the connection tube 5| as the chuck collar 53 is turned up thereon, serving to snugly clamp and center the electrode in the holder. The electrode is provided with a fluid conducting passage 59 extending therethrough from end to end, and tightening up the chuck collar 53 serves not only to secure the electrode but also accurately aligns the fluid flow conducting passage.

In operation, the working piece of metal [9 which is to be pierced, or which may have a piece of metal 6| therein, which it is desirable to remove, is connected by a conductor 63 to one terminal of any suitable current source which may provide heavy currents of low voltage, such as a welding transformer or generator. From the other terminal of the current source S a conductor 65 is connected to the electrode 55 in any suitable manner as by connecting it with the connecting block 4!, as shown. The motive device 25 is started, the water faucet 49 is opened, and the support adjustment I5 is manipulated to approach the lower end of the vibrating electrode adjacent the portion of metal to be disintegrated and removed. As the point of the vibrating electrode 55 approaches the metal, electric arcs are struck thereon. By means of an electric arc in contact with metallic material, high temperatures are produced. This being accomplished in the presence of the coolant flowing through and from the point of the electrode, two chemical reactions take place. The H2O molecules are broken down into ozone, O3, and free hydrogen, H2. The hydrogen passes oif as a gas and the oxygen or ozone becomes extremely active with the hot metallic materials. Assuming that iron or iron alloys are the metallic materials worked on, then the ozone reacts with the iron to become ferric oxide, Fezoa, ferrous oxide F6304, plus free iron Fe. Also if the metal used for making contact with the iron is copper, then some of the copper will alloy with the iron, forming an iron copper alloy, and some of the copper will become oxidized due to contact with free oxygen. All of the oxide compounds formed being extremely hard and brittle, these are knocked off from the main body of the metal worked upon by the arc and the vibrating electrode and are carried away by an excessive amount of water used for the process. Consequently, this leaves a hole precisely the same geometrical shape as that of the part used in forming the contact.

For the above operation it is preferable to utilize electrodes made of the softer non-ferrous metals, such as copper for example, and the process is useful in removing broken drills, tappets, set-screws, etc. Also my process and apparatus is useful for drilling holes through hardened surfaces or any metallic material which are found to be difiicult to work by the usual methods and tools. as well as the softer metals either ferrous or non-ferrous.

The coolantfluid utilized may, in accordance with my invention, be any fluid which will provide a suitable active oxidizing agent in the presence of the electric are but preferably I utilize tap water for this purpose because it is conveniently available under pressure, and serves very efiectively for cooling electrode and the work to prevent undue injury from the high temperatures and also it is very effective to flush away the disintegrated materials. Such water is not pure 1120 but in practically all cases comprises an aqueous solution, and where I have mentioned water, it is not my intention to limit the water to chemically pure or distilled water, only.

It is apparent that within the scope of my invention modifications and diilferent operations or arrangements may be made other than specifically disclosed herein, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the invention comprehending variations thereof.

I claim:

1. In a method of removing portions of electrically conductive material, the steps of alternately making and breaking an electric are between an electrode and said material, and continuously directing a cooling stream of water upon said material at the seat of said arc.

2. An apparatus for disintegrating and removing portions of metal, an elongated electrode, means for forming an intermittent are between said electrode and said metal including means for vibrating said electrode along its length, and means for directing a stream of water upon said are at its seat on said metal.

3. A method of disintegrating and removing metal which consists in, establishing an electric are between an electrode and the metal body to be out, repeatedly interrupting the arc by relative movement between the electrode and metal body in a direction to attenuate the arc, and directing a stream of water against the arc seat on the metal body to cool the metal in the vicinity of the arc and vacate the metal liberated by the arc.

HENRY V. HARDING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 561,367 Badger June 2, 1896 650,124 Coleman May 22, 1900 1,318,147 Herrick Oct. 7, 1919 1,324,337 Chapman et a1 Dec. 9, 1919 1,436,557 Wysong Nov. 21, 1922 1,553,094 Moldovan Sept. 8, 1925 1,609,859 Bond Dec. 7, 1926 1,804,059 Miller May 5, 1931 1,984,809 Requa Dec. 18, 1934 2,079,310 Bennett May 4, 1937 

